Pile on the Floor
by Aiko Isari
Summary: [XW] Post-Series. Blood on his mouth, torrented skin, this isn't the hero he saw in the sky. And Ryouma realizes he doesn't have long to figure out what happened to his hero. Warnings inside.
1. Winter Months

**A/N:** Hi all, this is the response to the Tale in Fragments challenge where you have to tell a story in fragments of up to 800 words, using the prompts given. At the moment, I have twenty. The prompt used was 07. February.

Warnings: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, memory loss, regression, scarring, and allusion to self-harm.

There will be warnings at the beginning of every chapter, as they will vary depending on the chapter. This is a rather painful story to get through and for the sake of safety will be rated M. Thank you and please let me know what you think!

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1\. Winter Months

The hospital was always cold when he came to visit there. Chilly with dying people, perhaps they kept the temperature low to kill them faster. Ryouma couldn't say, didn't dare to try. He just took the flowers with him, peony as always, and went to the room. He always could manage a smile at the worker at the front desk, but that was as far as he could go. Sometimes, they didn't even see him. He was so white and clear some days, he knew he blended into the wall.

He had been coming here since the end of December. Today was Valentine's Day. The snow still fell in gentle brushes, coating his hair like a nearly invisible net, and the outdoor chill turned his skin red where it wasn't covered by the scarf.

If it weren't for the inevitable quiet that came with the chill, he'd have thought he might hate it. But since winter never ended here, it just grew to be a necessary evil.

He reached the familiar door and knocked softly. "Can I come in?" There was a rustle on the other side, and he took a deep breath in preparation. Would it be on the floor today? Beneath the blanket? In the chair? His fingers shook on the crinkled plastic that held the flowers and the bag in his right hand. Ryouma could never know. One day, there was progress and another, a simple slide back down.

He waited still, waiting until there was a very quiet, "Please." to open the door. Then, he turned the knob slowly and eased the door open, wincing himself at the wailing of the hinges.

The patient sat on the bed, and mentally a great weight fell from his shoulders. Their knees were drawn up to their chest, and the arms hung limply around them, clasped like a promise. The eyes that greeted him were not hollow, not today, but looked more like fresh snow than the mush of run over frozen water that they usually do. In the pastel of the room, the childlike drawings mixed with the occasional jagged lines of red, which sometimes seemed to glow.

Not today.

"How have you been?" he asked the other, sitting down slowly in the chair that sometimes felt like wax. He took his time replacing the flowers, eagerly noting the way the other's eyes were fully attentive, grey and curious and observant to each repetitive movement of cutting and replacing the water. Ryouma did not see it as a step forward anymore, but a relief.

"Warmer, today," was the reply. The voice was small, tasting the air. "The kind woman said my legs were looking better."

"And your back?" No one spoke of the arms, the bandaged twigs.

There was a hum, and Ryouma paused in his wrapping of the dead flowers to wait for the answer. Beneath the bed came an excitable murmur and then the silence returned, thick with emotion.

"It feels better to sit up today," he finally heard and Ryouma smiled now. "How have you been?"

This question came out slower than the answers and Ryouma held back his wince because it was the second step back. But today was better because that meant he was going to get an actual question today, if he played it right. Well, more than the normal ones. It meant he wanted to know.

"it's still chilly out," he answered finally, gathering the spare petals. "The homework keeps me inside and I don't like it. I wish it were spring."

"Spring..." The sound of the word was akin to curling your tongue around a pretzel and it was followed up by a new question. "Colder than summer... but warmer than now? And there are petals in the air."

His heart leaped and he forced it down, only to keep a peaceful grin on his face. "Quite right, none of this snow, much more color. Like this."

Ryouma threw the dead petals like confetti and the fresh-snow gaze darted from one to another as if to catch them. But he couldn't catch them, and the disappointment was reflected there, if briefly. Only when the last reached the floor, caught by the murmuring beneath the bed, did the question-and-answer game begin again until the sky was more purple-blue than gray and he had to stand, the gift still in hand.

"Will you come back?"

Ryouma nodded gently, tracing around the covers where the other sat, not touching, never daring. "Don't I always?"

"I think you won't." The hitch of breath dissipated into the pastel walls. "If I love you, you won't come back."

The urge that welled up in his chest this time was smoldering coals. "I will, Taiki-san. I will."


	2. Twins on Opposite Sides

**_A/N:_ **Thank you remi! This one is a lot less elegant and imagery laden, mostly because in this situation, the characters aren't like that. this chapter is based on prompt 6-two.

The warnings for this chapter are: vicarious trauma implications, swearing, minor violence with mention of triggers, starvation, multiple relationships of many kinds, and that's it that I can catch.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

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2\. Twins on Opposite Sides

"You're still going over there, huh?"

He had to love Ren and his insensitive nature. Well, actually, he didn't because the other was as bristly as the cats he kept in his house. Ryouma shook the melting water from his hair and nodded slowly, relishing in the way his friend looked at him, saw him, knew him. Then he had to scrap that because Ren had shoved him into his own front door with the grace of a dying alligator, lips casual reminders of other times and places.

He had to push him off then.

"Crack my head open, and you'll be helping him get _to _my room."

Ren chortled. "I'd never do _that_, Your Highness." Ren let him go, dancing away to the beat that tapped out of his earbuds, navy blue and mixing with his hair. "That's too much effort." Ryouma rolled green eyes at that truth and stepped after him. The small bag dangled at his wrist and he looked down at it, at the red fabric and white tissue paper. He dropped it by their shoes with a sigh and followed Ren back up to his room.

"Didn't get to give it to him?"

"I'm that see-through, am I?" He threw his drenched jacket onto Ren's head, who sputtered his indignation and scowled. Ryouma stuck out his tongue, collapsing onto his bed with a lack of dignity that would have made the others stop and turn.

Ren snorted. "Still dunno why you keep going back." He hung the wet fabric above the heater. "The old guy said whoever did that mess to him broke his brain. Kudou Taiki ain't comin' out of that train wreck."

"And I'm under the impression that that isn't true," Ryouma said with a firm click in his voice, not thinking of the constant wondering of whether or not he would have to coax an IV drip into the elder's arm tomorrow. "Besides, if that was me, wouldn't you be doing the same thing?"

"Pssh, no." Ryouma glanced at him, then threw his alarm clock to almost bounce off of Ren's blue head. "Of course I would, dumbass," Ren muttered after throwing the clock back. "I just wouldn't be all," He wrinkled his nose. _"Sentimental_ about it."

"I rather like being a sensitive young man," Ryouma shot back. "At least I have taste."

"Then get a better jacket. You almost froze to death out there."

"Hen."

"Fashion-obsessed."

"Tone-deaf."

"I'll show _you_ tone-deaf!"

The two of them wrestled on the floor, only stopping when Ren nearly bit him on the cheek. That caused them both instantly to break apart, Ren wincing, Ryouma quietly wiping his face.

"Too far?" Ren asked and Ryouma raised an eyebrow, silent to avoid the inevitable curse word spew. "My bad."

Only when Ryouma could actually speak, breaking his self-created stupor, did he answer with a hoarse, "No shit, really?"

"Not my fault the guy bit you."

"I'd appreciate if you'd not talk about it, thanks." It wasn't like Taiki hadn't tried biting about every person who had touched him without permission ever in the past two months.

Ren snorted, then helped him up. "You still punch like a girl." Then he winced, cracking his spine. "Kick like one too. Oww..."

"It's a compliment from you," Ryouma replied drily. "Since you punch like a boy."

There was a thump from the door and a slightly shrill voice called. "When the pair of you are done bonding, apparently the food's ready."

Both of them looked at each other and called together. "Yes, Mother."

Airu scowled from the other side. "I'm murdering you both in your sleep."

Ren only scoffed. "She threatens that every single time." He threw his hat on the floor. "Come on, before she poisons the fish."

Ryouma snorted and went to follow, pondering if Taiki was even eating today, if he missed eating with people at all. He had to put it aside, like he always did, because thinking about it would gain him nothing.

He hoped Taiki had anyway.


	3. The Humor's Just Not There

**_A/N:_** I really do love this story so far. Thank you to all readers and reviewers. The pairings here are mentioned loosely but are pretty much there. This chapter is for the prompt of "tickle".

Warnings: allusions to self-harm, mentions of past graphic violence, and innuendo.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

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3\. The Humor's Just Not There

The cafe was nearly empty when he arrived there the next morning, save for the early businessmen scrambling through their mobile calendars and early college students needing a chocolate pastry before a particularly tough class. However, Ryouma sat at his table and waited, ordering the tea he needed at nine-in-the-morning. It arrived a few moments later and Ryouma awkwardly stabbed at the strawberry cake on the plate. It was a bit too early for sugar but he needed something to keep him awake.

Eventually, he started eating, in lack of something to do without losing focus. _I guess I know what Yuu is doing right now, _he thought with barely suppressed mirth. Yuu wasn't late to anything without a certain brunette distracting him, in any matter possible, a good deal of the methods physical and clingy.

The bell at the door chimed and Ryouma glanced up from his gradual decimating of strawberries and cream to smile at the arrival.

"Someone had a busy morning," he teased as the blond mussed his hair back down to something respectable. Yuu rolled his eyes.

"Don't even start," he mumbled. "Guy was a leech this morning, wouldn't let go of the sheets. We have two bedrooms in the apartment for a _reason_, you know."

Ryouma muffled a snicker. "He's just enjoying himself." _In as many ways as possible._

"How long is that going to last?" Yuu mumbled, dropping his bag in the chair. "I'll be right back. You can fill me in then."

"Have fun up there."

Yuu stuck out his tongue and Ryouma couldn't stop himself from raising one eyebrow delicately. He enjoyed bantering with Yuu, but sometimes he thought Tagiru rubbed off on him a bit much. Right down to the food that he ordered at times.

"Blueberry tart?"

Yuu had the grace to flush. "He got me addicted."

"You two are so domestic," Ryouma mused with an air to his voice. "I'm jealous."

Yuu's pale blue eyes darkened to a less bright shade of periwinkle at these words. "He's that bad, huh?"

"He's stopped digging into his arms for maggots."Ryouma spun his straw, noting the mild grimace on his friend's face. "Too graphic?"

Yuu rolled his eyes. "I've seen monsters decapitated and the like, but yes. Any other tidbits?"

"He's starting to be curious again, asking questions. He wanted to remember what spring was."

"Has he eaten?"

Ryouma gave a helpless shrug. "I'm afraid I didn't see anything pertaining to it. There was no IV drip and he was sitting up fine." He scratched his wrist. "I could just be a little too optimistic."

Yuu snorted, putting down his fork. "Still not as bad as Tagiru. He still thinks the old man has nothing to do with it." Wiping his mouth, he continued. "I swear, he can be worse than Airu."

"Only Ren is allowed to make fun of Airu," Ryouma said absently, casting a forlorn look at his empty teacup. "But I get your point. What makes you so sure?"

Yuu shrugged. "Past experience, context, dangerous situations, you know, little stuff." The look in his eyes was both in the present day and nearly five years in the past, thinking of a great battle at the end of a strange war.

"You are an elitist prick, Yuu-kun." He flicked whipped cream at the blond's nose.

Yuu only snorted, wiping it off on the back of his hand and licking it. "Tagiru usually leaves out the 'elitist' one."

"Don't compare me to him." The two of them look at each other and roll their eyes in unison. "Are you still going to come with me after classes?"

He received a nod. "Wouldn't miss it," Yuu said with a forced nonchalance. "He might recognize me this time, we never know."

"Taiki-san hasn't forgotten us, Yuu." His words were not only serious, but one-hundred percent certain.

Yuu rose from his chair, picking up their dishes and cutlery for the waiter. "When you say things like that, you really do sound like Tagiru." He grabbed his backpack. "See you later."


	4. Tip of the Glacier

_**A/N:** _Hey guys! Flaming aside, here is the update, for the prompt 5-surface. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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4\. Tip of the Glacier

He wasn't sure if he hated school or himself for continuing his education in the first place. Regardless, he was there now, tapping a pencil eraser to the rhythm of an unknown song. Once in a while, Ryouma would scribble a few music notes next to his classwork, keeping it in mind for later. He just had to wait for the bell, the stupid bell that never seemed to want to ring.

The lunch bell still seemed to be mocking, in any event.

"Are you going?"

He saw the shadow over his desk nearly half a minute after she had spoken, and groaned in mild surprise. "Akari-san, are we magically eating lunch together again?"

Akari retied her red hair into its one ponytail, looking at the spare green scrunchie she left on her wrist like one would a wristwatch, before smiling at him like he had suggested the best idea she had heard in weeks. "Afraid so, Ryouma-kun," she said brightly, or at least in as much of a chirp as possible. Ryouma guessed, by the slight crinkles at the edges of her smile that her classmates next door had royally irritated her about something or other and she needed a listening ear, while also appreciating that _he _needed one for an eventual panic attack about their friend in the hospital.

If anyone's curiosity was bursting about the friend she wasn't allowed to see, it was her. _She _was the one who had found him huddled in a puddle of blood which they weren't sure if it belonged to him or someone else.

He sighed. "Very well then. Will you kill Ren if he trails after us like a lost puppy?" Ren ticked his eyebrow and made to squirt the juice from his straw at his friend's shirt. Luckily, he missed.

"I'm not a puppy!"

"No, you're a recently bathed cat," Akari commented and Ren scowled.

"You ain't helpin' me at all, Akari," he muttered, toying with his hat. Ryouma tried his hardest not to smile and failed, earning a melon bread to his face for his efforts.

They adjusted the desks to make space for her as Ren looked around. "I'm hearing a distinct lack of Airu," he muttered as he adjusted the volume of his music, just in case.

"Harassed by the Chemistry Club," Akari reported with a snicker. Ren raised an eyebrow and then nodded, going back to his food. He didn't need to hear the report for a second time. Not that he didn't care, he just cared _less_.

Ryouma couldn't fault him for it, so he kept the explanation quick but detailed, enough that Akari and her motherly instincts could act but not react. She kept it to tearing apart pieces of sandwich and turning her onigiri into a flat triangle.

"Sometimes, I have to wonder if the Digimon were a blessing or a curse on us," she grumbled when he had finished. "At least he's responsive."

"I love how we are so sure it's the bloody Digimon," Ren said, finally pocketing his music player.

Akari raised an eyebrow. "I found him at the place where we fought Bagramon. If that's a coincidence, after Quartzmon-" She paused to let Ryouma wince. "I'm eating my other hairtie."

"Touche," Ren grumbled. "But the Clockmaker's around all the time. Like, we saw him every other week, helpin' our sorry butts look for the guy. Heck, I saw him yesterday!"

"Doing what?" Why didn't Ren _mention _these things? Ryouma would smack him later.

Ren scowled and bunched up his hat. "Had a weird light comin' from his Xros Loader was all I saw, he vanished before I could say anything." He thought it over. "Kinda looked like a tracking system."

"Like when we Hunted?" Ryouma asked, feeling a twinge of bitterness twist through his gut. He mussed that darn unruly strand of hair. "Well, the Digimon might be involved after all."

"_If _those two things are related," Ren said, grumbling the words through a mouthful of rice. Akari scowled at him, likely for his lack of manners.

"Considering the last time I saw Taiki, and the Clock Maker was in the room, Taiki threw a _vase_ at him and tried to stick one of his IV needles into the guy's throat, I think there has to be something to do with it by now."

"Well, he's stopped trying to do _that, _at least," Ryouma said with a small shiver. "Now, he's settling for hiding in the bathroom when the man's nearby."

Akari winced, and the other bell rang. "I'll keep an eye out," she said, grabbing her garbage.

"Akari-san?" She paused and Ryouma sighed. "What am I supposed to tell him?"

She smiled sadly. "We need him to come home."

_To give us some answers._


	5. Right On the Ball

_**A/N:** _Hey guys, was supposed to update yesterday but my wrist protested and thus, so did I. I probably won't be posting much else today either, just to be safe. This chapter is for the prompt "money".

There are no trigger warnings other than for this chapter, except for innuendo and allusion to kidnapping and torture and MPD. Nothing outright displayed.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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5\. Right On the Ball

"Hey guys, sorry we're late!"

"Tagiru," Ryouma greeted. "Did you have to put your shirt back on?"

"Piss off," Tagiru said without any real venom, righting his sleeve. "Yuu was harassing me that we were late and to get out of the shower."

"That's because we _were _late, you ever lackadaisical-"

"Okay, lovebirds, shut up," Ren said crisply, grinning at the pair of them when they glared. "We're kind of in a hurry, Ryouma's in a rush to see his dreams shattered." By reflex, Ryouma tripped him for his tactlessness, continuing to walk past his cursing voice. Tagiru sniggered at him and Yuu resisted the ever-growing urge to tie him to a tree and leave him there.

"Remember, Tagiru," Yuu said dryly. "Unless you can contain the urge to not shout half of your sentences, don't talk. He hid the last time."

Tagiru had the forethought to blush and not answer. "I don't like the idea of Taiki-san hiding from anyone," he grumbled. "He never did before."

"Before he hadn't been held hostage for almost four months and tortured."

Tagiru shook his head. "He doesn't feel like Taiki-san," he insisted for what was probably the thirtieth time since late December. "Taiki-san, he, he could have handled it." He looked down and away. "He's already... dealt with a lot."

Yuu groaned, Ren rolled his eyes, and Ryouma said nothing at all.

Even Tagiru knew he was grasping at straws, but it didn't take a genius to know that denial sometimes felt easier than reality.

They didn't say anything after that until they reached the hospital. The clerk informed them he was out walking in the courtyard, and with trepidation, they went out there, each shivering in the cold. Out there, Taiki was walking over snow-covered concrete in little more than a thin hospital gown and sneakers, but barring the flush to his cheeks and nose, he didn't seem to notice. His gaze was on the falling flakes, childishly watching them fall but with the adult idea of not knowing what to do with them when they were on the ground.

"Welcome back," he said suddenly, and without meaning to, Yuu looked to see the doctor. Her eyes were on Taiki from a short distance away, like he was a dog let off of the leash for the first time. Taiki wasn't looking at them still, but he knew they were there and perhaps knew who they were in a part of his mind that wasn't cut off from his sanity. There was nothing near him to throw, but that was hardly a comfort.

Ryouma wet his lips, then said in a voice that was only caution, no quaver. "Aren't you cold?"

"No," Taiki admitted and the eyes that were like molten snow were fixed on each of them in turn. Tagiru stepped back before he could stop himself, and Taiki watched him. His own muscles unconsciously tensed at the movement and Ryouma made to stop him, but Taiki pulled away, breathing slowly. His expression coiled and uncoiled with recognition, eyes shifting from one shade of gray to another until they settled again. The group watched him puzzle through something, only relaxing when he did. "Soon it will be March," he said in the middle of the silence. "And the snow will melt."

"Yeah," Yuu agreed, not sure what he was agreeing with. "Spring."

"We became friends in the summer," Taiki continued, like he hadn't heard them at all. "I don't think we'll have to wait that long, any of us, for things to change." The person he turned to now, with that too-close calm, was not Ryouma, but Yuu. For once, Ryouma was glad it wasn't him he was looking at. "He'll come when the snow starts to melt. You'll know then, right?"

Then, as though he had been holding onto consciousness just long enough to be able to tell them that, Taiki swayed and fell backwards. The nurse moved and caught him and looked at them with dismay.

"We had to chase him in here today," she said, pulling him up. "He tried to escape the hospital." She gestured, and they saw the bandages, white gauze stained a pale red.

They all looked at each other. "Why?" Ryouma ventured to ask.

The nurse shook her head. "That old man visited him today, and whatever he must have heard or said, it must have frightened him. We only convinced him to stay by mentioning you were going to be here."

"The Watchmaker came before we did," Ren muttered.

"No," Yuu said, suddenly incensed. _"Bagramon _came here before we did."

Ryouma and Tagiru only managed to exchange glances before Yuu ran out of the courtyard.

"What is he on?" Ren asked.

"I'm afraid to find out," Ryouma admitted.


	6. Someone Else to Look At

_**A/N:** _Well then, this chapter came quickly. And also concerned me. This one is probably why I need the M rating. This one is for the prompt-detour, taken literally in this case.

**Warnings: **violence, forced gender bender (it makes sense in context), amnesia, vomiting, self-harm, mind screw, and... technical cannibalism? I'm not really sure how to explain two of the things referenced in this chapter.

Try to enjoy this, but if you're disturbed, I fully understand you skipping this chapter.

**EDIT 09-14-14:** Due to some careful replanning, an event I said was in the story has now been retconned, meaning there is no need for a warning for it. Leaving it at M for safety's safe, but yeah, one thing is not here anymore. Sorry about that, it's nothing outright stated. Bye!

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6\. Someone Else To Look At

February was a blur after that, but Taiki had forgotten what months _were_ for a while, forgotten most of everything. All he knew was the time between pain and forcibly induced euphoria, a euphoria that made his skin ache and his stomach turn and his heart try to break from its chest in an effort to force it to end.

And words. Words that changed his body, spells that were warping him into someone else, something the doctors were afraid of.

He ran his fingers over his chest, feeling the bumps and shivering. The urge to dig into his arms rose, the urge to _pull them out, _yank out every strand of energy, life, data that was turning him into a-

_-You're weak, granting his wish.-_

_I needed to escape._

_-Weak.-_

He wanted to laugh at the voice in his head, or to be precise, the voice in his shadow. "You're feeding off of my despair," he whispered in a voice that was slightly higher than it had been whenever anyone had visited him. "You're eating me. Who's the weak one?"

The thing snarled and nausea rose up in his stomach as his body lurched and twisted trying to accommodate the properties in flesh in bone instead of data.

"He's looking to bring me back, right?" Beneath his bed, the creature hissed its agreement and Taiki shivered.

The doctors wouldn't come in tonight, not when there was so much beeping and so many voices tumbling in and out of-

He clapped his hands over his ears, but it just didn't stop.

Whenever they visited, the people that were his friends, the one that said she was his mother, they, they _thought _and they _felt_ and it wouldn't go away. Why?

Worry, fear, concern, love, so many kinds of love that they didn't know they had and none of it made any sense!

Why did they care? Why did it matter?

All of them wanted him to remember. To remember the past, to remember who made him this way and what he did. It didn't matter and people tried to force him to tell. When their hands grabbed his body, they were telling him _remember, remember, you're just sick and once you get better everything will be the way it was-_

But even if he remembered, it would never be the way it was.

His body wasn't going to be a 'his' anymore. It wasn't going to be _his _anymore, if it had been since back then.

Taiki couldn't grant that wish, no matter what he did.

The nausea rose and he pushed himself out of bed, managing to vomit into the toilet, a feat he was surprised his legs had let him do. The monitors beeped and he limped back, ignoring the deranged cackling at his feet.

He felt that stupid urge to cry, and it was stupid. He remembered tears were what that man had liked, no, it wasn't a man, but...

What would happen if he said who it was?

He had come so close before. He had felt what had happened when he did. They knew the answer. The blond- Yuu- had understood the answer. And then he had passed out, forgetting until Ryouma had said it.

He wanted to see the girl again. He could tell her things, and she would listen. He wouldn't have to ask questions to understand the world, she would just know. But she didn't love him, not like she seemed to want to when she had found him, all blood red and drenched on ground. She had thought her love would save him.

Ryouma was silver, and he loved him.

And for the life of him, and the one _within _him that was trying to be created, to become him, he couldn't understand _why._

The windows shook from the force of the falling blizzard, the final blizzard. Taiki raised his fingers to his mouth and bit into one, relishing in the pain, feeling Shademon's joy resonating with his body.

Then he laid back and let it all start again.

The doctors didn't know why he was becoming a girl. Taiki knew exactly why.

And he knew it was going to kill him in the end.


	7. A Realization Unintentionally Made

_**A/N:**_Update! This is for the prompt "sentence", number 2. Back to nano. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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7\. A Realization Unintentionally Made

It was a little too early for visiting hours, but Akari hardly thought much of protocol. She had promised to wait until then to the nurse, but she hadn't even tried.

The blinds were almost closed, and what little light could illuminate the room shone mostly over the jagged marks of red on the walls. Taiki slept on, his breathing slow and barely audible in the quiet, softer than even the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

_Stupid Mister Perfect, _she thought fondly, and then there was a growl from the floor. Her blood chilled as in the dark, something rose from underneath the bed. Red eyes opened from the floor, all of them slithering towards her in a huddle, a body. It growled again and Akari felt hazily for the doorknob. She turned it and the creature lunged towards the noise.

"Shademon, stop," Taiki said suddenly. His voice was hoarse but he looked straight at Akari. "She's fine."

The thing slithered closer, sniffing, all eyes wide open and glaring at her like it could make her explode.. Akari squared her shoulders and scowled back until the thing slunk away, back under the hospital bed.

Akari was silent for a moment, then she cracked out. "I suppose that defeats the need for a guard dog."

Taiki made a croaking noise. Had he been screaming? "He only comes out at night, when I'm alone." He smiled. "Likes to make me crazy. I missed you."

"Parents wouldn't let me come."

"So you snuck here?" His voice was teasing. "Bad Akari."

"Ryouma says you're not doing well." She stepped towards him, cautious until she saw nothing move.

Taiki made a noise. "Well, I'm not exactly fantastic, but I'm better than he thinks, better than they think. Right now."

Something was off. "Are you getting better?"

He nodded. "Kind of. Something is happening that shouldn't, and it's not..." He licked his lips. "It's changing me. I probably won't remember this conversation in a few hours."

Akari blanched. He had said all of this very casually, smiling a little. She decided not to ask stupid questions like how, or why, or what, because she didn't need to. "What can I do?"

"I need to leave," he said simply and she glanced at his legs, the bare feet still carrying remnants of walking in frozen grass without shoes.

"You can barely make it out of the hospital without keeling over," she said and he laughed. She wished he hadn't done that. He looked fine until he had laughed.

"I know that, but I'm not... not in..." He paused and Akari saw his gaze lose focus, like he was already slipping somewhere else. She reached out and touched his hand, and he snapped back, alarmed until he could relax again. Taiki sighed. "I'm in the wrong world."

_I hate it when I'm right._ "None of us know how to open a path, there aren't exactly Zones of DigiQuartz or..."

"Kiriha and Nene might know." His voice carried that familiar pressure. "If you talk to them, they might..."

The creature below suddenly hissed at him and Taiki grimaced, placing a hand over his abdomen. She saw something move beneath his hand and flinched.

"What the-"

"I told you," Taiki said softly. "I need to leave. Or this thing will drag me there anyway, right back to him. Right back to that knight."

"Then you have to stay here," Akari said, gripping his hand until he winced.

Taiki shook his head no. "If I go before he expects me, he won't be able to find me, and I'll be able to stop what's happening."

Akari scowled. "You're just going to do this alone, after everything-"

"Yes." Taiki shook his head even as he agreed with her. "Until I get there, until I get rid of this, yes, then, I will need to-" He stopped again and she jumped.

"After everything, you're going to just run off again! You're our friend, my best friend, there has to be a way-"

"It's not me he really wants for this. It's..." He fell silent and the creature hissed again, like it was laughing.

Akari paused and took a deep breath, and he stared at her, eyes owlishly wide. She smiled and he nodded his head a little.

"Don't worry, Taiki," she murmured. "We'll find a way."

He didn't answer as she slipped from her seat, but his hand reached out and clasped hers for an extra second, scratching into her palm.

Shademon was toying with his head, making him remember and forget in turns.

DarkKnightmon wanted someone pliant. But for what, and why Taiki?

"_It's not me he really wants for this."_

There was only one other person he could want.


	8. A Skip Out of the Door

_**A/N:**_Eight down, twelve to go. This is for the prompt-hopped. Please let me know what you think!

* * *

8\. A Skip Out The Door

"So it was me."

Yuu fiddled with a lock of his blonde hair. Tagiru was currently stuck in detention, and Akari had purposely dragged Yuu off by himself. "DarkKnightmon was originally after... me."

"Yeah," Akari said with a nod, shifting. "I think... whatever it was he did to Taiki, he meant to do to you."

"So, why didn't he just go after me after that?" Yuu rested his back against the school fence, shaking his head. "He could have used Taiki-san as bait and then just gotten to me." _It's not exactly a technique that's beneath him._

"Taiki would have turned that around," Akari pointed out, fingers toying with her scrunchie. "If someone's in danger, he feels more urgency and acts faster. Just him... " A scowl crossed her face. "He forgets to take care of himself, you know?"

Yuu recalled moments where he would find the other dozing off in the middle of conversations and school events and nearly hurting himself and winced. "But... but this was his life at stake, his sanity, why wouldn't he-"

"It would risk you," Akari said with a shake of her head. "We aren't having that again."

Yuu nodded, flashing Tagiru a smile as he appeared nearby. "Thanks, Akari-san," he said gratefully. "I'll let you know when I hear from Nee-san, okay?"

She smiled and nodded, turning to leave and miss whatever it was Tagiru was going to complain about. Not that it wasn't funny, but not today.

First Zenjirou, then Ryouma. One to bring up to speed, one to apologize to. She knew Zenjirou was the easier conversation. He was smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for, including herself once in a while. Then Ryouma... but how to explain it...

'He was trying to protect you.'

It wasn't a lie, because it was true. It just wasn't okay.

She hurried down the sidewalk and then she stopped. Slowly, Akari found her eyes drawn to the sky, and then behind her at the sound of quiet footfalls. There was a laugh by her ears, soft and calm. She let her body turn more and saw a girl, chains around her wrists and ankles, dressed in a barely worn dress, standing not too far away. The smile on her face was absent, like it truly didn't know any better place to rest on.

The eyes on her were gray and calm, surveying her with interest, but little more.

The silence was almost deafening, but then the wind blew and the girl let out a melancholy laugh. "I see," she said simply.

"What do you see?" The words slipped out from clumsy lips and Akari felt a wave of dizziness make her sway.

The girl only shrugged. "Why we're still fighting. What we're still fighting for."

Then a warm wind blew and Akari blinked, shaking her head. "Why was I standing around?" She turned back and started to run. "I need to go. I need to... talk to Zen."

Had she been talking to someone just now?

At the door to Zenjirou's apartment complex, she nearly bumped into the young man himself. "Zenjirou, where are you rushing off to? We need to talk for a sec."

"No time, Akari-kun," he said in a voice slightly louder than his usual shout to the heavens. "We have a situation!"

"What, did you forget your kendo equipment at school again?" she asked with dry irritation. This was important! If DarkKnightmon was even close to around then...

Zenjirou paused to look at her. "Didn't you get the call?"

Akari raised an eyebrow. "My cell's dead, what is it?"

Zenjirou grimaced. "Taiki's disappeared from his hospital room. His window was left open... and there was blood on the sill."

"He's _what_?"


	9. The Speed of Time

_**A/N:** _Hey! Phew, got it done, finally! This chapter is for the prompt "blink".

Quick thing, however: any implications of pairings, at least in this story, can be interpreted as friendship and nothing more, if you don't ship the thing. I'm not gonna force you to like it. The pairings are maybe an Easter Egg of the story, at most. So you can take the below as one-sided, friendly, etc, if you don't ship... whatever pairing is there at the time. Particularly for this chapter. I'm not changing the pairing hints, as again, it's not a big deal.

That said, please enjoy and let me know what you think.

* * *

9\. The Speed of Time

Sometimes, Tagiru thought he should be smarter.

Not that he wasn't smart, obviously. He went to live with Yuu for high school, who could cook, and managed to get a part-time job that wasn't boring (thank god, he still didn't know how Ren could stand working in a bookstore).

But, as was often the case of being friends with Yuu, he had no clue how to cheer up his the guy sometimes. Sometimes, Yuu was just sad about stuff, and no matter how much Tagiru offered to bake (he was better at that than cooking.) or made jokes about their teacher, or even got higher test scores than in middle school, he would just stay sad. Tagiru didn't see why a lot of the time, because being scared was never as fun as being _awesome, _but it was just something Yuu did, and it tended to frustrate the hell out of him.

It was also awkward to walk home with.

He kicked a rock around like a makeshift soccer ball. "So... are you gonna talk to me any time soon?"

Yuu blinked, and turned to him. "Sorry, what?"

Tagiru groaned. "Yuu... you're zoning out way too much. You're like me in English class!"

This cracked a smile. All right, progress. He was getting this. "My grade doesn't depend on me not zoning out, Tagiru."

"I'm not gonna stop bugging you until you tell me," Tagiru said with a grin. "Maybe I'll even bug you _during class_. Wouldn't it be great?"

Yuu rolled his eyes. Okay, emoting. Clearly, needling him was a step forward. "I'm just thinking, Tagiru. Relax, I'm not upset."

"Humor me and think aloud," Tagiru deadpanned. "Can't read your mind yet, it's not one of my many talents."

"Your many talents include sleeping in class, hitting cones while driving, and forgetting to switch your shoes," Yuu said with a grin and Tagiru pouted.

"That wasn't cool, Yuu!" he whined, before grinning. "Okay, I've cheered you up. Now spill!" He saw Yuu's face beginning to close off and stopped walking. He leaned forward and started shaking him. "Oi, oi, oi! No doing that! Come on, we're friends. Do you think I'm gonna laugh or something? Come on!"

He saw Yuu hesitate and squint-glared at him (his mother did it all the time, and it worked on him!) "Come on, Yuu, I'm a better listener now, aren't I?"

"It's none of your business," Yuu tried, but the words were half-hearted and Tagiru rolled his eyes.

"We're friends, so I'm gonna _make _it my business."

Yuu stared at him for a while, and then sighed, tapping his cheek thoughtfully with two fingers. "You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you, are you?"

Tagiru put his hands behind his head, eyes burning with triumph. "No-ope!"

Yuu flicked him in the forehead. "All right, all right..." He hesitated again and Tagiru wanted to hit him. How could you get anything done when you hesitated all of the darn time?

"It was supposed to me," he finally said, and Tagiru almost facepalmed. Because that was crystal clear! "It wasn't supposed to be Taiki-san that was kidnapped... it was me."

Tagiru stared at him, having absolutely _no clue _what that meant, and Yuu ran one hand down his face before elaborating. "DarkKnightmon was the one who had Taiki-san, but he got him by accident. He was originally after me."

"How did he manage to mix you two up?"

Yuu snorted. "I have no idea. Akari-san said she couldn't get that far before Taiki-san clammed up again."

"He's better?" God damn it why didn't everyone tell him this stuff sooner?

Yuu shrugged. "She says he's not okay, but not as bad as we've been seeing him. Anyway, apparently because I..." he winced. "_Worked_ with DarKnightmon in the past, he was more interested in using me again. But, Taiki-san was in the wrong place at the right time... and things went this way." He shook his head. "I don't know any particular details or anything but... it was supposed to be me, which means he could-"

Tagiru got the rest and glowered at the air. "Like hell I'm letting him." Yuu was his best friend... important person... _whatever_, and quite frankly, kicked himself around enough. "I'm not gonna let a tin can with a superiority complex do that to you. I'll call up Gumdramon and we'll show him!"

Yuu snickered. "Now that's an image I want to see."

Tagiru glowered at him. "Do you think I can't do it or something?"

"Did I say that?" Yuu laughed. "I think you're reading too much into things, Tagiru."

"Not when you're wearing that face I'm not!"

Yuu scoffed playfully before checking his phone. "Taiki-san's missing."

Tagiru swore.

He would disappear now, huh?


	10. Crossing the Chalk Line

_**A/N:** _Can someone explain why my chapters don't listen to me? I know the end; ladies, gentlemen, and others, but my stories are bound and determined to mess with how we get there. Because this wasn't supposed to happen. Oh well, it all fits with the ending, and I am really happy about that. To all the comments from my reviewers, I think a problem is me not using my words as properly as I should be and me being just a bit vague. Apologies for that, the characters talk too much. I'll fill in the holes as the chapters go. Until then, please read and let me know what you think!

For prompt-12: leaped.

* * *

10\. Crossing the Chalk Line

"Impressive hiding place."

Taiki stilled, raising his eyes to the shop doorway. The clothes he had taken from the racks were for the upcoming warm weather, and he shivered in them unconsciously. The Clockmaker stared back. Even through the opaque glasses, Taiki could feel the red gleam. The man's thoughts were disjointed, but without clamor.

"He's here," Taiki finally said, answering the repeated thought before the old man could say it. "Your brother. I felt him, he's-"

He stopped himself, expecting the pain, the delirium, the sudden lack of recalling certain facts. It didn't come and he exhaled, trying to not feel relief.

"That _thing _won't be active while I'm here." The man's voice creaked, but Taiki could easily hear the depth beneath it, that radiance of _authority_.

Taiki heard his shadow squeak and contained a smile. Shademon was frightened. He paused, to slow down his words, to focus. He could speak frankly, for the first time in months. It was... terrifying, but cathartic. Had to be clear.

"He wants to make me a vessel," he said before the old man could interject. "A submissive vessel for the Code Crown."

"And he believes turning you into the goddess will do that?" The old man chuckled derisively at the idea, leaning on his cane. "Taiki-kun, I've spent more time with a book in my hand than you have been alive. What he's doing will kill you."

"That's not his concern," Taiki said without thought. "There are others he could use."

"Amano Yuu has a lower synch rate with the Code Crown than the General of Blue Flare," Bagramon countered with a small snort, amused at the sloppiness of it all. "Just because you can manipulate somebody once-"

"No." Taiki's voice was quiet. "He always finds more. Maybe not here, but somewhere. He went looking, looking all over. I escaped when he was gone." He paused and thought about it. "I don't know where he went, but I know he's finally made it back." Because Shademon kept _laughing..._

"He took too long to return at all."

Taiki didn't understand the meaning of that, but he would figure the old man would know his brother rather well.

He squinted. "Are you going to keep me here for him?"

A nod. "I'm going to keep you here, yes."

The old man had only given him half an answer, and that half was enough to tell Taiki all that he needed to know.

Taiki stood up slowly and listened. There was no chittering like the sound of an old clock alarm, nor was there any sign of a black Xros Loader nearby.

Hesitation meant unneeded pain. He saw the opportunity, and seized it.

Shademon hissed.

* * *

Ryouma barely remembered to lock as his door as he left his house, face pale, red bag inexplicably wrapped around his left hand. He clutched his cell phone tightly, hearing Yuu in his ear. He sounded, not so much panicked, but the nervousness crept through his words.

"Zenjirou-san had heard from his mother. The doctors came in and saw him standing at the windowsill. But he wasn't on the ground by the time anyone got out there."

"What, did he just vanish in mid-air?" Taiki-san was human, and then again, should have been dead from the fall in the first place, or at least badly wounded.

"No idea," Yuu replied quickly, and Ryouma heard Tagiru cursing in the background. "It didn't sound like it, but the doctors are probably so freaked out, he may have just left too fast for them to see."

"But where can he _go_?" Tagiru shouted this on the other side and Ryouma privately agreed. They'd all look for him at places he knew, but their senior was not in his right mind. He may go to them anyway.

He thanked his past self for learning to navigate the cities, as he shot through a shortcut.

"I don't know," Ryouma finally heard Yuu say. "Wherever will take him away from DarkKnightmon... or us."

"Why would he want to keep away from us?"

Ryouma skidded to a halt as his shoes stepped on large pieces of broken glass, unable to hear Yuu's answer. He stepped slowly forward, dread rising in his stomach as his shoes touched a small, red puddle. He saw something laying by a broken shop window. He moved towards it and paused at the sight of a cracked pair of opaque glasses. Almost horrifically fascinated now, Ryouma leaned over-

And promptly pulled away, the smell of blood grotesque.

Taking a few moments to be sure he wouldn't vomit, he lifted the phone back to his ear. "Yuu? Tagiru? Someone's attacked the Clockmaker."

Bloody footprints decorated the street ahead.

In the bag, the red Xros Loader released a muffled chime.


	11. Some Scars Are Permanent

_**A/N:** _And an update! Remi, I still has to finish reading your reviews but yes, you may need to beat my stories into submission so they listen to me. At least they'd better be heading towards the right ending, or we will have a problem. This chapter is for prompt 11 (haha) medical. That was unintentional, I swear. Anyway, please drop a review at the bottom of the page if you feel so inclined and thanks for reading!

* * *

11\. Some Scars Are Permanent

He wanted to go forward.

No, not wanted, the desire was an impulse, running down his chest to the rest of his body and before he could stop himself, he was following the trail. The Clockmaker was not forgotten; he made sure to let Tagiru and Yuu know where he was, but he couldn't wait there. Ryouma wasn't sure if he was doing this because he was concerned or because it was like the Hunt all over again. The Hunt he never really participated in as himself but for his own reasons.

Yuu was right. He was _way _too much like Tagiru for his own good.

That thought in mind, he hung up on the two of them (they'd find him eventually, they knew his habits by now, he hoped) and continued on. There were no mad police cars rushing around (thank god, there would be no way to find Taiki-san in all that chaos) and there were no pedestrians, which struck him as both absurd and disturbing because the glass breaking had to have made some noise. But no one was here.

Did something scare them off?

_Taiki-san scared them off..._

Okay, that was ridiculous. Their senior was barely taller than them and had been in a hospital for months. How could he do something like that?

_The same way he attacked the Clockmaker, obviously..._

He didn't want to think about that, not now, not when Taiki-san was bleeding and hurt and possibly...

"Ryouma?"

Ryouma stopped walking, seeing Taiki just standing there, leaned against a fence. His arms were crossed, one hand covering a bloody upper arm. He stared at Ryouma and the feel of it was like being under a microscope, down to the nausea.

Taiki smiled and Ryouma tried to not cringe because of the unnaturalness of it, like they had met on the school rooftop instead of him chasing his senior down. "Ta-Taiki-san...?"

"Yeah?" Still calm, no urgency, no fear, nothing like that day in February, or the days before that.

"Wh-What are you doing here? You need to be at the hospital." He had to buy time, pray that if Yuu and Tagiru caught up to them soon enough so they could stop him from running off again.

"I needed to leave." Taiki's voice was calm. "There's still time to stop him. I have to. Before he gets everyone."

_Before he gets Yuu_. A pang of emotion broke through the nausea and he stifled it, shaking his head. "You're hurt."

"So's the Clockmaker." Taiki uncrossed his arms and let them hang at his sides, blood trickling slowly. "Don't worry, everything will be all right. You don't have to get involved."

"We can, though. All of us." He had almost stopped at the word "I" (1) but couldn't say it. There was a loaded sense in saying he could do something when that might not be true. But together, everyone could do something.

"You can," Taiki agreed, stepping towards him. His voice had gone quiet. "But you shouldn't."

"We-We aren't afraid of getting hurt." He almost cursed himself for stuttering but Taiki didn't seem to notice. He kept moving forward and Ryouma found he couldn't step away, rooted to the spot with a hissing noise by his ear.

"I know." Taiki's smile seemed to be different, wavering on his face. Ryouma rubbed his eyes. "You're all as reckless as I am. But for now, trust me. Let me end it."

Taiki reached out with his uninjured arm and mussed Ryouma's hair. Ryouma felt his face burn for a moment, then cursed himself for being embarrassed. He opened his mouth to speak, but his vision wavered again, cloaked in darkness.

* * *

Taiki moved Ryouma to the side of the sidewalk. Shademon whined its irritation.

_-Let me eat him.-_

"Quiet. You've hurt enough people." Not that he was sure the Clock Maker could be considered a person.

A hiss and Taiki clutched his stomach, feeling sick. He coughed but swallowed bile, giving the creature the best glare he could muster. "No time for you," he muttered. "Have to play the game."

If they became involved right now, there would be more scars, so many. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let DarkKnightmon get what he wanted.

_-The humans will follow you. Silly neophytes.-_

He knew that, but the least he could do was make the job easier on them.

Taiki saw the red bag dangling from Ryouma's wrist then, and knelt, picking it up and peering inside. His Xros Loader chimed, sending a warm tingle from his hands. He took it slowly and pocketed the device, feeling it hum joyfully against his leg.

A sad smile crossed his face. "Thanks and... sorry."

He turned on his heel, and ran.

* * *

A/N: Forgot this footnote. Sorry!

(1) "I" In Japanese, Ryouma uses the pronoun "watashi" or "I" when referring to himself, which was what he was originally going to say, as in "I can". But he said "we", or watashitachi, to cover himself. I hope that makes sense.


	12. Where It Could Come Together

_**A/N:**_Hello, i'm about to go to bed. so if this is not good, I will edit it after I sleep. Thank you to Nene Kudo, who ran through this one and a good part of Light over the past two days. You are awesome, and though I do not agree with all of your opinions, I respect them and see your point. :) This is for prompt 14-wandered. Please drop a review, if you feel so inclined. Have a good one!

* * *

12\. Where It Could Come Together

Yuu flipped through the pages of an old notebook, and without looking up, said, "Tagiru, he's not going to wake up if you stare at him."

"I'm not staring at him!" there was a pause, and then a small huff. "I'm wondering where to put his house key..."

Tagiru knew he was a bad liar, and was likely actually freaking out where Yuu couldn't see him, so Yuu just let it drop, continuing to flick through the pages. He kept one ear on the front door, waiting for it to open and reveal his sister, harried and nails bitten and all protective coiled panther ready to smother him. (He wasn't looking forward to it, but after the first time, she wouldn't take any chances.)

The apartment was full of awkward silence and was only broken a few minutes later when Nene came inside. Her expression was tired but at the sight of her brother, she moved to hug him. "All right," she inquired softly, sparing a moment to nod at Tagiru? Tagiru looked away to offer some semblance of privacy, watching Ryouma instead.

Yuu smiled a bit and shook his head. "It'll work out," he said aloud. Nene smiled but didn't counter this. "Is Kiriha-san here yet?"

"He's out looking," She replied, grimacing. "Not happy, I assure you."

"Can't blame him," Yuu mumbled. "The Clockmaker wasn't exactly our friend but he didn't deserve that..." He put the notebook down. "And Taiki-san's... still out there, running from D-Dark-" He cut himself off and sighed. Now that she was here and the whole thing had sunk into his own head, he had to bite his lip to keep his teeth from chattering. He felt bile stirring through his gut.

"Do you think," he swallowed. He'd forgotten Tagiru entirely for the moment as his sister patted his head. Tagiru kept his back turned until he heard Yuu make a noise like a swimmer coming up for air. 'Do you think he'll go after us first, or Taiki-san?"

Tagiru sat back in the chair. He hated the certainty in Yuu's voice, like that guy would come and just pick him like a flower or something. He couldn't be that tough... not even if Taiki-san was running from him.

He clenched his fists and unclenched them without noticing, wishing Gumdramon was around, wishing the Digimon had come back. This creep of a guy had, so why not them? There was only so many times he could punch a guy in the face until his hand started to hurt, especially since this guy probably had _armor_.

He saw Nene shake her head out of the corner of his eye. "It's hard to say; whichever option is more beneficial to him, I suppose..."

"So probably us..." Yuu looked around Ryouma's home and Tagiru followed his gaze. No one was here but them, no one could be hurt but them and the neighbors... and they were walking, powerless meatbags.

Hmph. Challenge accepted.

"What's Taiki-san doing anyway?" Tagiru muttered. "Pretending to be crazy, running off..." He looked at the ceiling. "I mean, it's kind of cool, because he jumped out of a building and was okay."

"You would think that was cool," Yuu said under his breath, cracking a smile.

Tagiru continued, used to his comments by now. "But we were there the entire time. He coulda dropped hints, trusted us."

"That's never been Taiki-kun's style," Nene said with a sigh. "He'd rather get the least amount of people involved or put in harm's way as possible. If it's just him,"

"All the better," Yuu finished with a groan. "Right. Lack of common sense." He winked at Tagiru. "Sound familiar?" Tagiru made to fire back, half because Yuu was goading him to, when Ryouma let out a groan.

"Did someone get an image of who hit me?"

Tagiru would have laughed but instead he shook his head. "It was Taiki-san. From what Yuu said." Seeing Ryouma wince, he grimaced. "He's weirding me out."

"Late to the party, as always," Ryouma quipped, sitting up gingerly. "God... whatever he did, it _hurt..._" He fell silent, rubbing his temples as Tagiru sat into a chair. Nene and Yuu were back in some private, fancy conversation that probably had something to do with that crazy knight and their next move. He'd leave it to them, they were all tactical and stuff. He itched to move, to help Kiriha, do _something_. Anything was better than sitting here.

There was a knock at the door andTagiru went to get it. He barely opened the door before he was thrown backwards, over the couch and to the floor.

There was a laugh. "I was in the neighborhood, and I thought I'd drop by. Hello, Yuu."

Yuu swallowed. "DarkKnightmon."


	13. The Shards of the Mirror

_**A/N:** _Sorry for the delay on getting this up! This is for prompt 18-coat. Please let me know what you think!

* * *

13\. The Shards of the Mirror

If Yuu was honest with himself, he was terrified out of his mind right about now.

But, as he knew rather well, he wasn't good at being honest with himself a lot of the time.

So, denying that fear, he took the risk of moving towards Tagiru. DarkKnightmon watched him with cold amber eyes sparkling with amusement. "Still trying to care about others, Yuu?"

Yuu's hands curled in reflexive fists. He had to ignore him, would ignore him. Had to focus on what mattered. Had to get them out of here...

"Afraid to admit I'm right?" His arms crossed in a tailor-made suit and the poise in the man's stance is disgustingly cool. He wanted the eyes off, look away, I'm not a piece of meat on a shelf,, look away!

"Get out!"

Nene's voice was like the knife in her hands and Yuu had to take a moment to admire her for thinking to do that, even if it was possibly useless.

DarkKnightmon seemed to smile. It was an odd thing to consider, but it was happening. DarkKnightmon was smiling with a human mouth and Yuu really, _really_ wanted it to stop. But he focused on Tagiru instead, forcing him not to sit up. "Stay down."

Tagiru's gaze was out of focus and Yuu winced. Did he have a concussion? Then he smiled for some reason. "Your teeth are chattering," Tagiru breathed suddenly. "Is it cold in here?"

Yuu wanted to laugh, but he couldn't even squeak. Ryouma joined him a few minutes later, head low.

"Fire escape ladder (1)," he said under his breath. Yuu's eyes widened and he tried to nod. Ryouma snapped his fingers in front of Tagiru's face and he blinked.

"I'm all right." Tagiru muttered in a hazy voice. "That hurt..."

"Plotting over there?"

Yuu didn't think, he pushed the other two behind him and whirled, grabbing the fallen desk lamp and throwing it at DarkKnightmon's head. "Go!" he shouted.

Ryouma managed to drag Tagiru to his feet, pulling him towards the window. They disappered from view and Yuu saw DarkKnightmon reach towards his sister. The mad smile was framed in blood and the sight of it alone made Yuu shiver. Finding the remains of the doorknob, he threw it. "Nee-san!"

Nene pulled away, moving to take his hand and run towards the window. She looked back and her eyes widened. Yuu almost looked back but what felt like flames pushed them both through the glass window, slamming them against cement. Nene coughed and Ryouma paused helping Tagiru down the ladder, moving to help them.

"Go," Yuu croaked.

DarkKnightmon laughed. "Well, I can't have that." He moved forward, blood still dripping from his head, matting dark hair. "I need to give them some incentive." He caught a few drops of blood and it began to shine. He flicked it and the liquid expanded, bursting open like the jaws of a shark. Yuu tried to roll out of the way but the liquid hit his arm.

It was thousands of poisonous mouths, burrowing into veins and marrow and muscle and anything they could eat. It was screaming, or was he screaming?

Over the howling from Yuu's lips, DarkKnightmon chuckled, "That was a fun trick I learned. A shame Taiki-kun learned to use it on _me. _He's a rather mischievous creature, just like Yuu."

Nene crouched over her brother, where a spiderweb of red was stretching over his arm and across his body.

"Surrender," DarkKnightmon said softly. "I don't need you alive to call them here."

"You need Yuu alive though, don't you?" Her other hand slipped into her back pocket, toying with her cell phone for a moment. Then she pressed the point to Yuu's neck.

Yuu squirmed and hissed and struggled at the touch of cold metal, whimpering as her hand rested on his stomach. His legs kicked and through slit eyes, he could see the solemn look on Nene's face.

DarkKnightmon smiled, "You would kill him to keep him away from me?"

"Well," Nene said, locking eyes with DarkKnightmon. "I'm a demon too, aren't I?"

The man moved towards her, hand outstretched and starting to glow. Nene adjusted her hold on the knife, pressing it more firmly against her brother's neck. "I wouldn't do that," she said, feeling Yuu thrashing underneath her hand and hearing Ryouma making his way back up the ladder. "I could lose focus. That'd be difficult."

"Something you _enjoy _being," DarkKnightmon spat at her, cool demeanor beginning to crack.

Nene smiled at him. "I can never make it easy for people, can I?"

–

In the shadows of an alleyway, Shademon hissed delight. Taiki looked up to the sky. "Not a chance," he said to the empty air.

His Xros Loader started to chime.


	14. Down the Red Marked Street

_**A/N:**_ Hello, this update's here! No warnings for this chapter, and it is for prompt-1 "avenue". Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

14\. Down the Red Marked Street

"Ryouma, get off of me!"

"You probably have a concussion, idiot. Not a chance."

Ryouma kept Tagiru pinned with an elbow, ducking them both out of sight behind the row of bushes. Tagiru gave a weak squirm but little more than that. He couldn't do much in this really _freaking awkward_ position.

Tagiru tried to focus. "Who's screaming?"

Ryouma winced, wishing he had a way to lie about it and not get hit. But he didn't, so he was honest. "Yuu is." Not that Ryouma would call it screaming, more like a banshee wailing.

Instantly, Tagiru started struggling again. "Geroff... lemme help him... that creep is after him!"

Ryouma gave him a puzzled look, but drove his elbow down again. "No, he'd hate us both if I let you run off and hit the wall and possibly kill yourself."

Tagiru glared and actually threw him off at a particularly loud noise.

Someone else was up there.

They looked at each other, and with reluctance, Ryouma let Tagiru go.

* * *

The girl that dropped onto the balcony had appeared from nowhere. Barefoot, broken cuffs at her wrists, gray eyes full of amusement.

"Oh, here you are," she said, a smile touching her face. "I was beginning to think we'd have to send a calling card."

Nene pulled her brother nearer to her, his screams having died down to quiet noises near her hand. The girl turned to look at him and then her expression softened. Nene turned the knife as she stepped closer but at that very motion, the other paused.

"He really admires your love, Nene-san," she said, holding out her hands in a gesture of peace. "You know how to use your heart."

Nene tensed like a coiled spring, but Yuu's expression suddenly cringed below her hand. He twitched, made a noise, twitched again. Then red smoke left his mouth, gathering into an orb by the girl's outstretched hands. Yuu relaxed seconds after. Nene placed the knife in her other hand, helping him sit up. "Yuu?"

"That... really hurt, Nee-san..." He looked up at her in a daze. "Do I have to do it again?"

Nene managed a sheepish laugh. "No," she assured. "Not a chance."

"Yuu! Nene-san!" she heard Tagiru shout from the other side of the apartment. Why was he moving at all? She wanted to remind him DarkKnightmon was right there...

Come to think of it, why hadn't he moved? She looked towards him, seeing the expression on his now human face. It was an face of hunger, like a dying man near an oasis. It couldn't be disguised by his lack of a mouth, this time.

The pure glee in his smile made Nene really wish it could be.

The girl, however, seemed unfazed. "You kids better move out of the way." She pulled her hand back and threw the orb of mist at DarkKnightmon's chest.

He raised a hand to block it and it caught, squirming and writhing to push the man back into a wall. The girl turned to Nene and Yuu, moving over to them in rapid strides that make her manacles shake. "We don't have much time," she said, as though nothing were wrong. "Everything's going to end soon, very soon so please listen to me. You need to get to the Digital World. Find the books, find the gate. Find her. Please. You have to find her."

"Who?" Yuu croaked out.

The girl shook her head. "Can't say. Paradox at the moment, but you trust me. You will."

Nene leaned forward, the knife poised to strike. "I've never been good at handling strangers."

She earned a patient smile. "I'm not a stranger," she said with a weary laugh. "You know exactly who I am. Or who I'm about to be. Find her. Save him... or whatever he'll be at the end. Please."

Then she was gone and DarkKnightmon was thrown backwards from the force of it. Nene didn't think any further, merely took her brother's hand and ran in the direction of the door. She could hear DarkKnightmon laughing in triumph as she ran past Tagiru and Ryouma, but she didn't look back.

One of the first things she had understood in the Digital World was to never look back.

* * *

Taiki leaned back against the alley wall as he forced himself up to a standing position. "You didn't even give them a "how"," he said under his breath. The air hummed and he started walking. "Now they'll be running around like beheaded chickens."

If he left them like that, they would all be dead.

Taiki lifted his X Loader., watchng the screen light up. For a moment the air was full of static.

Then a rasp of a voice came through the speaker. "Taiki?"

Taiki smiled in relief. "Shoutmon."


	15. What's A Slip Here and There?

_**A/N:** _Okay, chapter fifteen. 75% of the way there. This is for the prompt-sane! Only warning here is for a curse word and blood. Other than that, well, trying to bring this to its end. Please read and review!

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15\. What's a Slip Here and There?

"Help me."

These weren't words Taiki liked saying. He usually preferred to be asked for help rather than get it. But now he didn't have a choice. The others... he had to protect them... keep DarkKnightmon away from them...

Shademon trilled and Taiki leaned against the wall, breathing growing harsh.

"Taiki?"

Taiki jolted, smiling without thinking, at the sound of Shoutmon's voice. "Yeah," he managed. "I'm here. Sorry, it's a long story."

"What do you need me to do?"

This time, the smile on Taiki's lips was genuine. "I can always count on you guys..." He sighed. "I forgot about that..." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Can you get a gate open to the Digital World? The others need to go through as quickly as possible."

"It could be tough," his partner rasped. "The Code Crown's energy is pretty weird right now... you know anything about it?"

Taiki touched his chest. "Yeah," he said. "Like I said, it's complicated." He began to walk, limping slightly. "But can you do it? I don't want them to get hurt."

Shoutmon was quiet for a few moments, before he answered. "Yeah. I can. On one condition."

"Yeah?"

"I'll come through and get you too." His friend's voice was a little shaky, like he was building up the temper that sent him recklessly against whoever he could swing at. "I ain't leavin' you behind if I don't have to."

Taiki opened his mouth, prepared to talk his friend out of it. Then he closed it and sighed. "All right. I'll wait for you."

That was about all he could give him. It wasn't a promise, but it was good enough.

"Thanks, man."

Shoutmon spoke casually and Taiki rubbed his eyes. His partner was too good to him. He always trusted him too much.

"No," he said. "Thank you."

He looked around him at the silent road. What was happening now? The silence was unfamiliar, after weeks of Shademon in his ear. There were no doctors or police around, and DarkKnightmon was somewhere far from here. Was he safe?

No, not safe. But he was alone, and that was enough.

He stopped walking and winced. His legs were bleeding again, but that wouldn't mean anything soon enough.

"All right, DarkKnightmon," he said, smiling at nothing. "You want a vessel, huh? Then come and get one."Taiki closed his eyes and put his hands to his chest. As the blood puddled around his feet, he began to murmur.

"_I am the child of the dreamer..."_

It was just a little further in the end. Anything to protect.

* * *

Yuu winced in pain. "Nee-san..."

"Almost done," Nene informed him, tying a bandage. "Ryouma-kun, how is Tagiru-kun?"

"I'm fine," Tagiru grumbled from his spot. "I'm not the one with that knight in my face." He glared at nothing. "He was so smug! I swear, I'm gonna get my hands on him and-"

"And do what?" called a voice from his pocket. "Steam at him to death? Come on, Tagiru, save me some fun, will ya?"

"Gumdramon!" Tagiru shouted loud enough that it made himself wince, head spinning. "Dude, where the hell have you been?" He bit his tongue to keep anything extra angry from coming out of his mouth. It wasn't Gumdramon's fault this crap had happened. _Or that I can't do crap..._

Next time. He'd protect Yuu next time.

He never wanted to hear Yuu scream like that ever again.

"Over here," his friend bit back with what was probably the biggest shit-eating grin possible. "We haven't been able to figure out how to get back here. Wisemon did something a while back apparently that worked but the machine... kinda exploded. Still won't tell us why, but you guys all together?"

"There's only a few of us close to each other," Yuu said hoarsely, having heard this. "Why?"

Gumdramon was quiet. "The king's partner said to get you guys out of there to our world, didn't say why. He just said "get them out." He paused. "I dunno... he sounded pretty desperate. So, listen, you guys are going to get a Digimon in your Xros Loader, I think. As you do, you've gotta get... somewhere, I dunno where."

"Do we need to get our parents? Our families?" Nene's voice was sharp.

"Don't think so. Nobody said."

Nene bit her lip. That girl had said the same thing as Taiki-kun had asked... What did that say about Taiki-kun? What did that mean about them if they trusted his choice? "All right," she said after a few moments, tossing her phone to Ryouma. "Call the others and let them know. I have a guess where we have to go."

"The final battle," Yuu croaked out.

Nene nodded. "That's the only place it can be."


	16. An Arcane Method of Doing Things

**_A/N:_ **All right, one more fic update and I can do the lists and everything else and go to bed. Haha, I'm tired. No new warnings for this one. Let me know how Akari goes in this one! This if for the prompt-branch.

Please read and review! Thanks for your support!

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16\. An Arcane Method of Doing Things

"Zenjirou catch up!"

"Akari-kun, you're the one who's going way too fast!"

Akari barely paused for air, jogging in place. "Zenjirou, you are dragging your feet and you're not even carrying anything!" Her pink bag, a bit dusty from lack of use, bounced on one shoulder. He gave her an incredulous look.

"Panicking over Taiki's well-being is your specialty more than it is mine!"

Akari debated hitting him across the head, but then picked up her pace again. Her Xros Loader had begun to flash green and she wanted to know why. It probably had to do with Taiki, but it could have to do with Yuu and the others, and she hadn't heard from them in a while...

No, she had to focus. She had to think. They would be fine; Nene and Yuu could keep Tagiru from hitting something. Even if Ryouma was less of an unknown factor than before, he was still an unknown factor. She would just have to count on the fact that he wasn't as similar to Tagiru as he could be to keep him safe.

Her Xros Loader let out a sudden noise, something between a screech and a groan. She stopped walking and pulled it from her pocket. "Zenjirou, is your Xros Loader lighting up or did I get a special bonus?"

"Mine is too," he said after a few breaths of air. He didn't sound winded, but kendo was more self-control and focus than anything else. He probably could use a breath of air... that they didn't have.

She had to hurry. Koto was huge and Taiki was injured. They probably wouldn't let him on a train... but she could't know. The fact that he supposedly jumped out of a window...

God, she was _killing _him for that! Even though he survived!

"Zenjirou, you okay?"

He caught her eye and nodded. "Let's go!"

As they ran, Akari dodged streetlamps and looked for people. Yet even now, there was no one. It was like... like DigiQuartz all over again. But DigiQuartz was gone, long gone. It couldn't come back if Quartzmon couldn't, right?

She really hoped not.

"Akari-kun!"

Akari turned, ready to drag Zenjirou by his shirt if she had to to keep them moving, but then stopped, seeing what he was looking at.

"Taiki, what the hell are you _doing?_"

He didn't answer, or, what was more likely, he probably didn't even hear her. She marched towards him, towards the light. There was an angry hiss and that made her jump back at the last minute with a shudder. That freaky... whatever the hell... Shademon, or something. She had mentioned it to Nene after talking to Taiki before... and for some reason, it had made the other sick to her stomach. Not comforting. She tried to glare at it and almost didn't notice when Zenjirou made his way over and hit it.

"You... disgusting... thing, growling at ladies... is rude!"

Akari wasn't sure where that came from, but whatever. She moved closer to where Taiki was standing and scrambled back a bit. Something, a diamond symbol, glowed beneath his feet. "Taiki...?" she breathed.

He opened his eyes and they were gray, not fearless, but clear, almost painfully clear. "Akari," he said, and looked behind her, where Zenjirou was moving towards them. "Zenjirou." He smiled, and the expression looked strained.

"Kudo Taiki, you've scared the hell out of everyone." Zenjirou got his speech back first and Taiki almost laughed. The light beneath his feet has dimmed slightly, but it's still glowing. Akari examines him, shifting from foot to foot. She wanted to hug him, to lock him to a bed, to scold him until his ears bled. She didn't know where to start.

Also, as odd as it was, she wanted him to cry. She wanted him to just break down and stop running around and giving her gray hair and working himself to death.

Idiot cared too much about other people.

Taiki's lips quirked. "Yeah, I have. Sorry." He wasn't really sorry, and they all knew it."

Zenjirou snorted and instead of launching into a spiel, asked. "What are you doing?"

Taiki hummed. "Um... something reckless?"

"When aren't you?" Akari half-squeaked, debating hysteria and irritation. "It's too late to stop you, isn't it? I swear-" Her face burned. "I'm always a few steps behind all the time when it comes to you being an idiot!"

"I'm just a few steps behind him, period," Zenjirou muttered, half-joking.

Taiki looked at them, head tilted. "But if you're back there, you can catch me."

For a moment the two of them stare at him. Then Akari laughed. "Idiot."

They were his army. It was their job to go along with his stupid ideas.


	17. The Filthiest Things Are Beautiful

_**A/N: **_So... maybe I'm out of the block on this? Maybe? I can't tell you, because this fic is being stubborn until the very end. It doesn't want to be finished. But it will be. I have other things I want to post, happier ones. Maybe. Anyway... warning for blood, violence, the usual. Please read and review! This has been sitting on my computer for too long. Enjoy! For the prompt- holy!

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17\. The Filthiest Things Are Beautiful

Nene shifted, peering out at the grass. Behind her, Tagiru was leaned against the wall, slightly twitchy in his desperation to move. He _hated_ being stuck and not doing things.

"Tagiru, stop," Yuu muttered.

"But there's nothing _there_."

"There _might_ be, so stop."

Nene rolled her eyes since they couldn't see her and crept across towards the river. "What's bothering me is that there is no one there," she admitted, gesturing for them to follow. "And that there hasn't been in quite some time."

"Do you think DarkKnightmon had something to do with it?" Yuu mentally patted himself on the back for not stuttering the name like he wanted to, almost feeling the earlier sensation of being burned from the inside all over again.

Tagiru huffed a little, fiddling with the wrappings around his head again. "He's not a god, Yuu."

"He can still overpower humans, Tagiru," Yuu muttered. "If Gumdramon can toss you around like a rag doll, what do you think he can do?"

Tagiru settled back, looking disgruntled. Ryouma gave him an awkward pat on the back before he spoke up. "You don't think he managed to kidnap an entire city, do you?"

"I'm sure that'd take too much time, even for him..." Nene looked up at the walls, and decided to not say a word.

Tagiru huffed again. "We can beat him."

Yuu looked at him as if prepared to answer otherwise, but all he said was, "You should call Gumdramon again, Tagiru."

Tagiru looked at him, drooping a little where he sat. "Yuu..." He turned away and fiddled with the Xros Loader again. He didn't like that expression on Yuu's face. It was worse than gloomy, or scared. Tagiru couldn't identify it, mostly because it was a feeling he hardly ever felt.

He figured asking Ryouma was a bad idea, or at least really crappy timing.

So he tried fiddling again. "Okay, what button did I press?"

"There's like, four, man," Gumdramon's voice said, dripping with amusement. "Process of elimination."

"You're so helpful." The others crowded closer, and Tagiru now realized that they _did_ look a little weird, a bunch of teenagers huddling in the grass. "A bunch of us are here... except for some..."

"Tagiru, be specific or something, damn..."

Ryouma shook his head. "I've contacted a few of the others... who I've met, anyway."

"That scary blond dude is here," Gumdramon reported. "We have no idea how the hell he showed up, the king just said don't ask... dude is the king's partner there?"

"We haven't seen him since he jumped ship at the hospital," Tagiru said, looking around. "Right?"

Ryouma shifted. "Actually..."

"Actually, you're all about to be reunited very soon." DarkKnightmon dropped gently onto the concrete road. "In a nice, large lab experiment. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Nene made a noise like a snake, moving in front of them like a paper shield.

DarkKnightmon laughed. "Oh, Nene, do you actually think your life will make a difference or not to me?"

Yuu moved closer and Nene pushed him away, dancing to the side of a tiny energy blast.

"You'd be surprised, DarkKnightmon," said a quiet, focused voice. "She usually tends to be the one ruining your plans.

They all knew that voice. It was one they usually heard much more vibrant, much more alive.

But when Taiki stepped between them, scarred and calm and eyes more gold than gray, the feeling they had was somehow stronger than relief.

"Taiki-san," Ryouma uttered, twitching when the gold eyes landed on him. The last sight he had gotten was bloodstained and not-right and this wasn't the same. But what was it?

DarkKnightmon, however, looked delighted. "Oh, there you are!" he said. "Here to play at being a hero?" His eyes flickered. "Or is that Yuu's role?"

Yuu flinched, and for the life of him, Tagiru didn't want to know the details of that.

Taiki shrugged, stepping closer. "I'll leave to your likely graphic and twisted imagination, since it's gotten you this far. But this is as far as you're going to go, you see."

DarkKnightmon held out a hand. In it formed a red tipped spear, and it seemed to be almost drooling red. "That's a cute bit of hope you have there."

He lunged and thrust the spear forward, smile widening when steel kissed flesh.

Taiki grinned, wrapping his hands around the weapon nestled in his abdomen. "Isn't it?"


	18. Glow of the Diamond

_**A/N: **_All righty, hitting that home stretch! This is for the prompt-crystal! Please read and review, if you feel so inclined.

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18\. Glow of the Diamond

Yuu had never found anything so gratifying as when he saw the expression on DarkKnightmon's face. Eyes widening, anger and disbelief filling his skin like water to a canteen, the sight was the best thing he had seen in months.

Though that joy was curdled by the fact that his senior was bleeding to death right in front of him.

Despite that, Taiki seemed wholly unconcerned. He gripped the weapon through slippery fingers. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You're the one who decided it was a good idea to keep me alive with Shademon while trying to kill me. Did you check the side effects?" He sounded more scolding than anything, something which would have made the others laugh in another circumstance. Shame that this wasn't the time.

Yuu and Nene moved to help but Taiki shook his head. Yuu made his way forward anyway. "There are a lot of things messed up about today," Yuu said as he reached around Taiki's waist. "But I'm still sure you can bleed to death."

Taiki winced and smiled. "Oh I think he'd like that at this point." The spear began to flicker gold, and even as Yuu pulled Taiki away from it, the other didn't let go. The already red tip was almost brown with the blood and the sickening noise was almost enough to make Tagiru want to hurl. But he didn't, he kept watching until he saw DarkKnightmon spinning his weapon again, snatching it from Taiki's hands. That was all Tagiru needed to see before he knocked Yuu away from their mentor. The spear went spinning and Taiki jumped, a leap that should have been impossible and having his stomach and intestines dribbling out but instead his whole body flickered, flickering from near death to a blond girl in ruined clothes and shackles and then back again to himself, spear held tight.

The wound was closed, scabbed over like it had been weeks ago and not only moments.

Taiki grinned at the expressions on their faces. "I guess that didn't go according to plan. But this will." His smile widened and that wasn't enough to prepare anyone for Zenjirou smacking DarkKnightmon on the head with a kendo stick.

"Kudo Taiki!" Zenjirou snapped as he swung again towards the neck. "Do you mind not giving Akari-kun a heart attack? I'm the one keeping her walking, am I not?"

Nene actually laughed as Taiki spun the spear. "I'll try my hardest."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Zenjirou leaped away to join them. DarkKnightmon clutched his head, stumbling for a moment. "Never thought I would be grateful for the human condition."

Tagiru made to help Yuu up. "You all right?"

Yuu winced. "Try not to hit me with the force of a freight train next time, okay?"

Tagiru almost glared. "There wasn't time for self-control, Yuu."

Yuu snorted and turned to watch DarkKnightmon again. The look on his face was vivid rage. He winced. Oh boy...

Ryouma began to edge forward. He didn't know what was prompting him to move. Perhaps it was the heart he kept ignoring, but he felt like if he didn't go, he never would.

"You clowns..." The calm, honey dripping malice voice had been ripped away with ease, leaving almost beastlike fury. "You think you can end this, end _me_? You think that by banding together, you can conquer me when you couldn't even muster the guts to try before. Either of you..." His eyes flickered between Taiki and Yuu. "Both of you... it doesn't matter. I don't even need you alive anymore! Your essence is enough! But first... let me teach you the price of non-conformity!"

The air began to darken with clouds. Yuu peered at the sky as Nene started pulling the others to the side. That wasn't a cloud; that was a vortex of color, reds and purples and blacks. "Move," he shouted. "Move, get out of here!" He knew that attack, distantly, he'd only seen it used once. He pushed Tagiru aside. "Get back!"

The wind picked up from above and DarkKnightmon laughed. "Yes, there it is, that defiant look doesn't suit you, Yuu! Beg a little, and you won't lose your friends to an eternity outside of time and space, or scowl at me some more so that they can enjoy the view!"

Yuu glared, legs shaking. DarkKnightmon didn't want him to beg, that was just an appetizer. He wanted him back _now_. And if he didn't go...

Taiki regarded the forming vortex up in the sky with a little smile. "Sorry," he said without a hint of sincerity. "But I'm going to need that little thing up there."


	19. Another Way to Mend

_**A/N: **_I post this chapter and inform you that the next chapter of Pile will be its last. In fact, that chapter was just completed moments before. That said, I didn't want to drag this one out, hence why this took a bit longer than I meant it to. This chapter is for the prompt- cracked. Please read and review, and the last chapter will be up on Friday!

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19\. Another Way to Mend

"You're going to need that?"

The most disturbing thing about DarkKnightmon saying that question was that they were all thinking it.

Taiki only shrugged. "I'm going to need that portal. Thanks for making it." He smiled like nothing was wrong. "You use it, we'll all die and you'll have to find something else to surpass your brother with, well, if you don't die of course."

"Doesn't quite think these things through." Nene's mutter was acidic. She wasn't sure Taiki was either, but his gaze was firmly on the dark knight, so she couldn't ask.

Yuu almost laughed, but he was looking up at the portal, which was dragging things into it almost like a vacuum.

DarkKnightmon stepped forward in quick strides, looking at something near Taiki's feet. "Shademon," he said, voice tight. "Restrain."

Something hissed and Ryouma almost moved away. He knew that sound, it had been there when...

He rubbed his head as a creature swayed into view behind him, many red eyes flicking open to glow at the same time.

Taiki's whole body convulsed, left arm wrapping around his stomach. He covered his mouth and grimaced. Blood seeped through the gaps in his fingers.

Tagiru threw himself forward, but Yuu yanked him back by his shirt. "God, would you keep still? He already nearly gave you a concussion!"

"Someone's gotta get in the way of this stupid tin can!"

DarkKnightmon continued to make his way forward. When he reached Taiki, however, the other's hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist. Though the Digimon tugged, the human fingers did not budge. Taiki managed a red smile.

"Oh no you don't," he said, voice deadly soft. "I'm not going to let you get away, not now. Not so you can come back and hurt my friends. You've done _enough_."

It was a very sudden move, but as DarkKnightmon made to stab him through the eye, a great wolf leaped and tore the spear from his free hand.

Dorulumon dropped down, Akari snatching the weapon from his mouth and wincing at the weight.

"You'd think this would be lighter, way he was twirling it..." She looked up at Taiki and a resigned sort of smile crossed her face. Then she smiled and inclined her head. The orange Xros Loader in her hands flashed and above their heads, the vortex vanished-

Only for a new one, gold in color, to appear beneath Taiki and DarkKnightmon.

Seconds later, they were being sucked into it.

Not even a full minute later, they were out of sight.

Not even five seconds passed from that before Ryouma went bolting after them.

When the portal closed, all of them looked at each other.

Then Akari let out a well-worn sigh, and began looking through her Xros Loader's settings again. "Well, that's going to change things..."


	20. The Importance of Living

**_A/N: _**So this is the end of the fic! Wow, it took a bit longer than anticipated. It's finished now, though. A bit of a different ending, but we'll work through it! Thanks to everybody who supported this fic (or didn't, whichever!). This is for the prompt-meaningless! Thanks and please leave a review if you feel so inclined at the end!

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20\. The Importance of Living

"Ren is probably going to kill me."

Yuu would have rolled his eyes at Tagiru's attempt at a joke, but now just picked at his shirt. Tagiru scratched the back of his head. Nene-san had asked him to keep an eye on Yuu while they figured out how to get to the Digital World (supposedly Dorulumon's way through was one-way, who knew?), and he'd been around the Amano siblings enough to know she didn't say that without it being an expression of her trusting him or threatening his life.

Looking at Yuu's face, so closed-off and unhappy, it made him feel like he'd throw up. Again. He looked away, and berated himself for it. Tagiru clenched his fists and loosened them in the same minute. "Can I punch you?"

Yuu was quiet for a moment, then he shrugged. "I won't stop you."

"Well, I'd like it if you tried."

Finally, Yuu reacted. He sighed. "Tagiru-"

"No." Tagiru thought he might have whined that, but his head was starting to throb. He was going to have Cutemon take a look at it when they got to the Digital World, cause there were still no people around. "Taiki-san didn't do that so you could sit on your butt and look depressed."

"He did it because he has less self-preservation than a squirrel with steroids."

"That... that image doesn't make any sense." Yuu snorted, and Tagiru took that as another tiny victory. "Yuu, we're gonna find them. If only because Akari-san and Zenjirou-san wouldn't have let them go if we couldn't. Then we can punch both of them in the face for being stupid and not letting me join in!" He said this last part with the stomp of one foot, ire now rising to the surface. "Stupid Ryouma... he always has to steal the show, doesn't he?!"

Yuu tried not to smile and failed. "That's because only you're allowed to have the spotlight. The rest of us have to steal it."

"Are you calling me an attention-hog?"

"You said it, not me."

Nene chuckled as she caught the tail end of this. "Well, one problem is solved, I suppose." _And so many to go... _

When they got to the Digital World, they would just have to begin solving them. Hopefully, Kiriha-kun's brain had managed to rewire itself from wide-spread destruction.

Well, she could hope anyway.

Akari managed a laugh, but her face turned to a serious frown a second later. "He's an idiot," she finally said.

Nene hummed her agreement.

"But he's our idiot," she continued.

"So he'll manage to come back, bring Ryouma-kun with safe and sound, and help us wrap up the dirty work."

"_Right_."

Nene paused. "Bottling up all of that anger isn't healthy, Akari-kun."

"... Speak for yourself," Akari muttered, face red. "You haven't been around him as long as I have."

"I count myself lucky for that."

They both smiled as Zenjirou turned back to them. "We're live," he said, grinning to himself.

Akari sweatdropped. "We really can't let you and Wisemon be in the same room."

Zenjirou pretended to be offended by that as the Gate opened.

Shoutmon peered through the gate. "So, are ya comin'? Or what? We gotta get movin' before Wisemon decides he's allowed to be on this side of the portal."

Somehow, hearing the red dragon sound so at ease made everything seem a whole lot better.

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**A/N:** Well, that's the end of Pile on the Floor. Thanks for all of your support in everything that's gone on. Please tune in the end of this year/start of next year for the sequel: _Promised Rainfall_! The summary should be up on the lists sometime around September. Thanks again, you guys!


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